Superman and Batman move over – There is a new cape crusader in town! Say hello to the latter, no one dreams of becoming a superhero, but some unfortunate Mumbai Indian players find themselves guiding themselves. Mi proposed a masterpiece of “inspiration”: Punishment lawsuits. This season’s version? Suspiciously fashionable superhero costumes cross the nuanced lines between public humiliation and pure comedy gold.
The 2025 season has seen Will Jacks, Raj Bawa and Tilak Varma as Reathman stuff, headed by “Late”. But don’t worry – the rituals are all fun, intended to build friendships and ideally, get everyone on time on the team bus.
And, let’s not pretend this is Mi’s first rodeo. Last year, Ishan Kishan, Shams Mulani and Nuwan Thushara won their place in the late Hall of Fame, swaying a truly memorable “coord suit” and being splashed by the robbers of their own teammates. Yes, it sounds glorious.
But perhaps the most tragic victim of comic fashion is Hritik Shokeen and Arshad Khan, whose version of the “Shame Fight” is clearly lacking in superheroes’ glittering and dangerously turning to Halloween Party Left Territory.
To its credit, the evolution of punishment lawsuits shows the transition from pure embarrassment to the pleasure of cleverly orchestrating. In a world of sixths, sleds and high expectations, it is gratifying to see a franchise that isn’t afraid to laugh at yourself – even if that means turning their players into part-time comic characters.
